The 16th LPAR event was held in Africa for the very first time, signalling a bright future for a conference with a glowing history. For many years it was a goal of the steering committee to hold LPAR in Africa and the enthusiasm for our presence far exceeded our expectations. With the help of local organiser Waly Faye, LPAR integrated itself...

The arrival and popularity of multi-core processors have sparked a renewed interest in the development of parallel programs. Similarly, the availability of low cost microprocessors and sensors has generated a great interest in embedded real-time programs. This book provides students and programmers with traditional backgrounds in...

First, note that I have used Zen in the title of this book. I have been asked many times why I used such an esoteric term. After all, what is the meaning of Zen? To clarify the meaning of Zen, we must examine the philosophical environment that gave rise to Zen: Indian and Chinese philosophies. In India, Buddhism arose out of a Hindu...

Welcome to the eighth edition of the Game Programming Gems series, started by Mark DeLoura in 2000. The first edition was inspired by Andrew Glassner‘s popular Graphics Gems series. Since then, other Gems series have started, including AI Gems and a new series focused on the capabilities of programmable graphics, the ShaderX series....

One day,Erica and her husband took the kids out for ice cream, and she noticed a big advertisement hanging above the counter. It said, “Bring in your digital photographs. We’ll put them on ice cream cakes.” She found the manager and asked what was involved. “It’s simple,” she said. “Just bring...

Embedded computer systems are electronic systems that include a microcomputer to perform specific dedicated tasks. The computer is hidden inside these products. Embedded systems are ubiquitous. Every week millions of tiny computer chips come pouring out of factories like Freescale, Microchip, Philips, Texas Instruments, Silicon Labs,...

Harry Grinnell, who was co-author James Coplien’s grandfather, was a life-long postal worker, but many of his life’s accomplishments can be found in his avocations. His father was an alcoholic and his mother a long-suffering religious woman. Grandpa Harry dropped out of school after eighth year to take a job in a coal yard...

In the five years since the first edition was published, Microsoft has made impressive progress in building out its data warehousing and business intelligence tools suite. It is gratifying to those of us who work in this space to see the steady commitment that Microsoft has made to provide usable, professional quality tools. During...

Arduino Projects to Save the World shows that it takes little more than a few tools, a few wires and sensors, an Arduino board, and a bit of gumption to build devices that lower energy bills, help you grow our own food, monitor pollution in the air and in the ground, even warn you about earth tremors.

Arduino...

The K2 towers at 8,611 meters in the Karakorum range of the western Himalayas. It is the second highest peak of the world and is considered the most difficult 8000er to climb. An expedition to the K2 typically lasts several months in the summer, when the weather is most favorable. Even in summer, snowstorms are frequent....

You’re no dummy, and neither am I. The tongue-in-cheek title of For Dummies used for this book franchise is one of the world’s most successful oxymorons, like military intelligence or boneless ribs. You are smart enough to pick up this book because you know there are gaps in your knowledge. The publisher was smart enough to pay me...